SF Police Chief Faces Hit-and-Run Charge

Angela Averiett, the police chief of San Leandro, was charged on May 13 with misdemeanor hit-and-run in connection with a freeway collision that prosecutors said happened on May 19, 2025, on eastbound Interstate 580 near the Interstate 680 interchange. Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said the charge was filed under California Vehicle Code 20002(a) after her office obtained a California Highway Patrol report in April. The city placed Averiett on paid administrative leave the same day. Averiett said she did not knowingly leave the scene and was dealing with what she believed was a medical emergency. ### Who is actually charged here — and is this San Francisco’s police chief? Angela Averiett is the chief of the San Leandro Police Department, not the San Francisco Police Department. Several roundup items and reposts tied the story to broader Bay Area crime briefs, but the criminal charge announced last week names the San Leandro chief. Averiett was appointed in June 2024 after previously serving as police chief in Los Altos and in leadership roles at BART Police, Hayward police and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. (da.alamedacountyca.gov) ### What do prosecutors say happened on Interstate 580? The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said the case stems from a collision at about 10:51 p.m. on May 19, 2025, on eastbound I-580 near the I-680 interchange. Prosecutors said the California Highway Patrol handled the initial investigation and that the case came to the district attorney’s attention on April 1, 2026, after media coverage the previous day. District Attorney Jones Dickson said her office then requested the CHP report and found probable cause to file a misdemeanor charge. (cbsnews.com) Daffani Ryan, the driver of the other vehicle, told ABC7 that she was returning from a San Francisco Giants game with her husband and two children when a silver Jeep with police lights in the rear window drove along the shoulder, veered into her lane and clipped her mirror. ABC7 reported that Ryan’s husband recorded the license plate and that investigators identified the vehicle as an unmarked San Leandro police car assigned to Averiett. (da.alamedacountyca.gov) ### What is Averiett’s explanation? Averiett said on May 13 that she “did not knowingly leave the scene of a collision.” She said she had been driving home from a city council meeting in an unmarked patrol car when she began experiencing chest pains, activated emergency lights and tried to get off the freeway quickly. She said the issue later proved minor. (abc7news.com) CHP interview details reported by CBS San Francisco and ABC7 said Averiett told investigators she did not realize she had hit another vehicle. Those reports also said she did not call 911 and did not seek immediate medical care after leaving the freeway. ### Why was the charge filed a year later? April 1, 2026, is the date the district attorney’s office said it first learned of the collision through media reports. (cbsnews.com) Jones Dickson said her office had not previously received a police report on the matter and requested the CHP file after the coverage. After reviewing the report in mid-April, she said, prosecutors determined there was enough evidence to bring the misdemeanor case. KTVU reported that CHP had previously investigated the crash but did not cite Averiett at the time. The district attorney’s office has not alleged a felony offense; Jones Dickson described it as a minor misdemeanor case. ### What has the city done since the charge was announced? San Leandro officials placed Averiett on paid administrative leave on May 13, according to city statements cited by CBS San Francisco, ABC7 and KQED. (da.alamedacountyca.gov) Assistant Chief Luis Torres is serving as acting chief while the city identifies an interim chief. KQED reported that Averiett said she intended to defend herself and wanted to continue serving as chief. (ktvu.com) The city has not announced a permanent leadership decision beyond the leave and temporary command arrangement. ### What should readers watch next? The misdemeanor case is now in Alameda County’s court system, and Averiett had not entered a plea in reporting cited by Police1. (cbsnews.com) San Leandro’s next public step is likely to come through city announcements on an interim chief or through a court appearance in the criminal case. (police1.com) (kqed.org)